Celebrating Midlife 1

by $aMsUng

WE JOURNEY TOGETHER

Departure
We departed 5 am for Dumaguete for a 3 day retreat. Such an unholy hour to be leaving, that means no sleep for me tonight... huhu!! I hope our facilitator would be very tolerant if I doze through her lectures and wake up in time for snacks. I'm so looking forward to bonding with the women in our church, getting away from the demands of the family, commune with God and find out what's in store for me in the year 2008. I know when I come back, I'll be refreshed and ready to tackle whatever lies ahead.

En Route to Dumaguete
Since I was the last to board, I was assigned to sit at the back of the van. Wonderful! With just Mench and me, we could stretch our legs in comfort. I expected the rear to be bumpy but that was an understatement! We rocked all the way to Dumaguete and it wasn't a pleasant experience. Milo and banana at 4:30 in the morning didn't quite agree with my stomach... felt queasy about three quarters of the way. But am happy to say we reached our destination without me disgracing myself... haha!!! Jing's new van would have smelled and have everyone throwing up too!!! The company was great though, can't complain about that...

Celebrating Midlife and Beyond
Had lunch at Country Baker's then proceeded to the beach house to start our spiritual retreat. No time for delays. At midlife, we certainly cannot afford it. We had a schedule, which we followed to the last detail. Well, we did... until we let ourselves loose and went shopping one afternoon. Then the sked went haywire.

With so many topics to choose from, why midlife? Simply because we are all in the transition period between adulthood to senior age, or somewhere thereabouts. We share many common concerns and issues like: how to grow old graciously, how to live productively, how to thrive in midlife, how to let go of the past, living out of brokenness and vulnerability, preparing for the empty nest, etc. Some revealed bits and fragments of their lives, others their life sagas. I found sharing of reflections the most treasurable of all activities. The Lectio Divina was my least favorite part. If Elena panicked at the long silence, I was afraid God wouldn't speak to me or I'd be too oblivious to hear Him. Never shared that, but there you go.

We got to know each other better, learned from one another's experiences. We shared our joys and sadness, our ups and downs, our triumphs and downfalls. Each of us unique in our individuality but we all learned:

To be kinder to ourselves, and be less critical.
To be real, to be sad, to be messed up and confused... yet, to be accepted.
Not to worry, for God fills our lives with beautiful things.
Not to think negatively, even when problems surround us.
To love our body, despite the flabby arms and excess fat.
To be fulfilled, happy and contented, whatever our station in life.
That air-conditioners, cool baths and ice packs... can relieve hot flushes.
That blankets, warm sweaters and socks can ease cold ones.
To never say never, for it's never too late to pursue our dreams.
To never forget to thank the Lord, for He is our strong provider and protector.
The importance of journal-keeping, for it reminds us of His goodness.
The grace of a fresh start that God gives us, daily!
To be more prayerful, for He listens to our supplications.
To get in touch with ourselves, and to get in touch with our God.
But most of all, we learned that in darkness, woundedness and grief, there is healing and transformation.

We learned much more, but it's simply too numerous to write down. Many thanks to you, Ate Elsie, our facilitator, for being there to guide us through our midlife journey seminar and for sharing your life with us. We are so wonderfully blessed to have known you.